Draco & Sara: One Night in Paris
by SpookyMulder
Summary: A romantic interlude for readers of The Girl in the Tower


~Draco & Sara~ ~One Night in Paris~  
  
NOTE: For readers of my novel-lenght fic "The Girl in the Tower". This is not meant as foreshadowing and is totally independent of the main story. Just a fun idea.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here." Draco smiled, hands clasped casually behind his back, coming to a stop beside her. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't think about her and his heart raced as he approached the girl he still loved.  
  
Sara was startled, having been deeply contemplating the Rembrandt before her. She smiled brilliantly, turning to him. "Draco! My god, How long has it been?"  
  
"Four years I think. Too long." They fell into a short, awkward embrace, then quickly pulled away. He looked her over, never having forgotten her beauty, and thought she looked terrific in her simple outfit of a black skirt and white poet blouse. Her hair was piled neatly on her head, spilling liquid sunlight like a soft crown in the glow of the museum. A few loose wisps framed her face and a thin black tendril wove it's way artfully into her curls. She had always been so stunning, so elegant, but now the innocence that so endeared him had turned to something else and whatever it was, it radiated. In the time he had known her, she had irrevocably changed him. There had never been, and probably never would be, anyone else like her. No other girl could compare. Besides, who else but Sara would look at Rembrandt while wearing violet glasses? When he realized she was staring uncomfortably at him, he ran a hand through his long hair and smiled. "So, what brings you to Paris?"  
  
"Wandering, I guess. I get so bored when I'm idle too long. You?"  
  
"Same thing. Boredom."  
  
He smiled again and she thought he was gorgeous, even more so than he had been in school and she let her eyes run over him. His hair flowed almost white over his shoulders, a younger, finer image of Lucius. His clothes were expensive, yet casual. He still wore her Amidon. She still wore his Fortificus Charm.  
  
"I didn't know you were the museum type, Malfoy. I would have guessed you as a rock concert enthusiast." She wandered away and he followed by her side, glancing at things, but paying little attention to the exhibits.  
  
"I'm that as well. There's a lot you don't know about me, Sara. Things you never took the time to find out." He looked to her briefly, touched by a sad memory.  
  
"I was young then, naive." She took his arm, "I made my share of mistakes."  
  
"You had your reasons. Besides, I made mistakes enough for both of us."  
  
Sara stopped and slipped her hand into his, turning to look in his ice- blue eyes. "It's been so long." She sighed, "Let's not dwell on the past. Look at us! Everything's different now. You're no longer a junior Deatheater and I long ago gave up trying to change for those who would never understand me."  
  
"Agreed. But not all memories are bad, Sara. There's one in particular I rather like holding on to."  
  
A small smile touched her lips. "Would it be the memory you asked me to give you the night of the Yule Ball?"  
  
He smiled back. "It might be."  
  
"It's something I think of often." She admitted and started walking again, forgetting to let go of his hand.  
  
"How often?"  
  
"Often enough."  
  
"I would love for you to elaborate, but it's enough to know that I still cross your mind."  
  
"And what about you, Draco? Do I still cross yours?"  
  
"Every day."  
  
Sara stopped again, feeling closer to him in these few minutes than she ever had at school. Until this moment, she'd never known how much she missed him. "I'm sorry." She said, "For anything I ever did."  
  
"It's the past, Sara. I forgave you years ago. I'm glad to see you."  
  
Draco put his arms around her and she fell into the embrace, the familiarity of him returning as if they'd parted only yesterday. "I'm so glad you're here." She sighed, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "I missed you Draco. It's so nice to see you again."  
  
"I missed you, too, Sara." He whispered, "You could never know how much." He kissed her hair and her lips graze his cheek as she pulled away.  
  
"The museum's closing. Come on, walk with me."  
  
She took his arm and they made their way out, stopping again on the sidewalk, perhaps to say their goodbyes.  
  
Draco took a deep, somewhat nervous breath. "Have dinner with me."  
  
Sara smiled at the invitation. "Of course I will. Tonight?"  
  
"If it suits you."  
  
"It suits me."  
  
"Where can I pick you up?" He asked, smoothing a stray wisp of hair from her face.  
  
"The Hotel Chateaubriand. It's right down the street near the Champs Elysees."  
  
"I know where it is." Draco chuckled, "I'm staying there, too."  
  
Sara laughed. "Room 212. Come by in an hour."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Wow." Draco smiled when she opened the door, "You look, well, I don't know. There have never been words to describe you. I don't think anyone wears black so well, except maybe me, of course."  
  
Sara grinned, "Still charmingly arrogant, Malfoy." She smiled at him, at his long platinum hair as it spilled over his shoulders, standing out brilliantly against his black suit. Again she was reminded of Lucius. "You look fabulous, but I'll bet you already knew that."  
  
He held the door as she went out, "I still like hearing it from you, though. And stop calling me Malfoy. I hate it when you call me that."  
  
"Why, because it's impersonal?" She asked as he led her down the hall, a hand on the small of her back.  
  
"Yes."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"So," Sara asked as they had their desert, "you never told me. What do you do for work?"  
  
"I tell people I'm gathering information for a book, but I don't know how true that is. It's just an excuse to wander around Europe, really. How about you? What do you do?"  
  
"Not much. After The break-up I spent some time in Romania. The rest has just been culture and experience."  
  
"Do you mind if I ask what happened? I mean, it seemed like it would last forever?"  
  
"Being the Elemental, I need to remain anonymous, lead a quiet, reclusive life and he is forever in the spotlight, destined to remain the most famous person in the wizarding world. It was a problem, of course. One that couldn't be solved. In the end we went our separate ways."  
  
"I'm sorry." Draco said, uncomfortable, but he wanted to know. "I'll bet it was bad."  
  
"Very painful, but not ugly. We still keep in touch."  
  
He took her hand across the table. "Sara, there are other people in this world who love you just as much, and are better suited to your needs, your lifestyle. People who can rival your beauty and your bank account." He grinned at this and she smiled warmly.  
  
"Let's get out of here. I haven't been to the Eiffel Tower in awhile. Want to check out the view?"  
  
Draco polished off the last bit of wine in his glass. "Absolutely."  
  
He helped her out of her chair and she took his arm as he led her out. The eyes of all they passed fell upon them, smiling at what they took to be a startlingly attractive couple.  
  
It was a clear and balmy night and they passed by the limousine waiting just outside, preferring to walk the half mile to Paris' most famous landmark. Draco took Sara's hand, strolling casually along the tree- lined sidewalk, feeling this was all too surreal, like a dream. He wasn't really walking through Paris with Sara, holding his hand and looking incredible in her black dress.  
  
He recalled the first time he had seen Sara wear this particular color, on her seventeenth birthday as he'd watched her from a near-by balcony. He had found her so beautiful, so attractive it was almost painful to look at her, but to look away was not viable. Sara was, and still was, totally arresting. He often developed a fluttery nervousness in her presence and his heart raced when she touched him, when she looked in his eyes, even if she was close to him. It didn't seem real that he was with her now, after so much time, which he'd spent thinking he would never see her again. It was only hours before that he'd wandered into the Louvre, bored with life and incredibly lonely. And there she was, looking at Rembrandt through violet glasses for a different perspective. Only Sara could match his eccentricity in such a way.  
  
Draco put his arm around her as they stepped out of the elevator and moved to the rail where they could look out over Paris in all it's nighttime splendor. Sara had worn a slight smile throughout the evening and now it widened as she looked at him, the wind tossing his hair, he captivated her. She had always found him extraordinary and a thought from long ago came to mind.  
  
...stunning, beautiful, like a diamond among ordinary glass...  
  
His arm went around her waist as he stepped closer, his hand caressed her face, smoothed her hair, his fingers tangling in it. "Say you'll see me again, Sara."  
  
"I'll see you again." She smiled, blushing ever so slightly, the demureness that he loved about her. "But tell me, how can you stand to be here with me after all that's happened? It's just that," she cast her eyes to the ground, "I can't help but wonder why you don't hate me. I know it's a difficult question-"  
  
"Difficult, yes. But the answer is simple." He lifted her chin, "Sara, there's something I've always wanted to do."  
  
He kissed her quickly, before she could object, and was a little surprised when her arms went around him, pulling him closer. An eternity passed it seemed, and he forgot about the view of Paris as his eyes closed, dismissing the people around them. There was only Sara, and this moment he was sure would never come to pass. I love you, he thought, I think I always will. Sara pulled away and let her head rest on his shoulder. "Is that all you have to say, Malfoy?" She sighed as he embraced her.  
  
"Are you kidding?" He laughed, brushing his hand through her hair, "That's just my opening statement. Come on, let's go back to the hotel. We can have a drink at the bar." She smiled and nodded at this idea, but when she turned toward the elevator he stopped her. Draco smiled before apparating them both into the back of the limo. "The Chateaubriand" he told the startled driver, then raised the muted glass.  
  
"When did you learn to do that?" She asked as he poured them each a little wine.  
  
"A few years ago. I got sick of having to travel. It didn't take long, once I set my mind to it."  
  
"I still can't." She admitted, "But when I stayed with the old Gypsies, before the elderly Elemental died two years ago, she taught me how to use the wind. It's really a spectacular experience, but it scares the hell out me. I drive everywhere or take the train."  
  
"Maybe you'll show me sometime. It sounds rather interesting."  
  
"It's fast."  
  
"I like fast. Well, sometimes."  
  
Sara smiled and sipped her wine. "I always knew that about you."  
  
"Then you would know that I also like things that last."  
  
She met his wintry eyes. "Do you? I was always under the impression that you only want what you don't have. You're easily bored."  
  
"So are you."  
  
"That's very true. But I have to admit, Draco, a room with you in it is never boring."  
  
"That's exactly what I think about you. Although one would be impervious to his surroundings."  
  
"Honey drips from your tongue, Malfoy. I always knew you were eloquent, but I had no idea you could flatter me the way you do. I like it."  
  
Draco smiled and finished his wine as they pulled up to the curb and stopped. He slid out, then took her hand to help her up.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
The hotel's lounge was dimly lit, with a New Orleans jazz band playing in the corner of the smoky room. Immediately Sara was reminded of her mother and the nights she'd spent as a little girl, sitting alone at a table in the dark. He helped her into a chair in the darkest corner he could find and ordered a bottle of expensive wine. Sara complimented him on his choice.  
  
Before she knew it, Sara was feeling tipsy, more at ease and she saw Draco's hands had stopped shaking. He smiled more, his demeanor relaxed and his apparent nervousness melted away, along with his formal manor. His witty sarcasm resurfaced and Sara was glad of it. He was so stiff and on edge earlier, it was nice to laugh out loud with him, enjoy a fast-paced, easy conversation. Before long, they were on the dance floor.  
  
"You're still graceful." She smiled, "I do love to dance with you."  
  
"I love dancing with you, too. We compliment each other so perfectly."  
  
"That we do. I used to get picked on all the time because we looked so good together."  
  
"The Slytherins said so, too. They secretly liked you, but they thought I was the biggest loser. They caught me staring at you constantly."  
  
Sara tipped her head toward his and her eyes fell closed as he kissed her, sweetly, but there was nothing timid about Draco. He wanted only to be closer to her, to feel the intimacy that his heart longed for, to let her consume all his senses. He feared he was pushing her, moving too fast and that she would back away any moment, but the need to convey his emotions, finally let her know how strongly he really felt overwhelmed him. His arms tightened around her, their feet still moved in lazy circles and Sara was caught up in the moment, unable to think of anything else, melting against him and wishing they were alone. The electricity of his touch, the emotion and insistence in his kiss rendered her powerless and she sighed when he pulled away.  
  
He breathed her perfume, a maddening and compelling fragrance he remembered vividly, as he kissed her neck, delicately, then rose to look at her. He needed to know if what he was doing was wrong.  
  
Her countenance alleviated his fears and flooded him with soft relief. He saw in her a mirror image of his own adulation and desires and without a word they left the bar, only to continue the passionate interlude in the elevator. By the time they made it into Sara's room, the kiss had become a heated frenzy.  
Snape awoke from his place on the sofa in Sara's suite, unnoticed in the dark, startled by the crashes of things falling as Sara and her date stumbled about the room. She'd described him earlier as 'just an old friend', but Severus recognized the young man's silhouette even before he heard Draco's voice, whispering, from across the room.  
  
Snape had let himself in an hour earlier, worried over Sara's date, since she'd had only a few over the years, all of which ended with her returning home early and usually quite irritated. Such an entrance as this, with the two of them stumbling about, senseless, knocking over lamps and falling into the walls hard enough to bring the pictures to the floor, was the last thing he'd expected. He didn't know what to do. He sat there in the dark, shocked, pleased beyond words, and increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, when they had succeeded in removing their shoes and seemed about to move on to other things, Snape cleared his throat.  
  
Sara turned so quickly she lost her balance and almost fell, but Draco's arm was right there to catch her. "Lumos." She said and the two remaining lamps came to life.  
  
Snape fidgeted with his clothes and made an attempt to smooth his hair.  
  
"Severus!" Sara said, catching her breath and blushing crimson. "How long have you been there?"  
  
"I'm sorry. I should have made my presence known sooner, but I was taken off guard as you can well imagine." He stood quickly and walked around the table. "I can see that you've returned safely and are in good hands, so I'll just say goodnight." Severus smiled suddenly, looking from Sara to Draco.  
  
"Are you upset about this, Professor?" Draco asked, not knowing how to read the strange expression in Snape's eyes.  
  
"Not at all, Draco. In fact, you have no idea how pleased I am to see the two of you...getting along so well. Carry on then. As you were." He hurried to the door, but stopped to put out the do not disturb sign before disappearing into the corridor, smiling.  
  
"Where were we?" Draco asked and kissed her again, crashing into her, his arms absorbing the blow as she collapsed against the wall. She pulled at his jacket and he shrugged it off his arms, kicking it away so they wouldn't trip and he guided her blindly down the hall, moving farther and farther from the light of the lamps.  
  
Sara led him through the door to her bedroom, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, tossing it to the floor where it was quickly joined by her dress, then other articles of clothing as they collapsed to the bed.  
  
Draco looked in her eyes, her head resting on the pillow beneath him, her hand touching his cheek. He brushed an amorous hand across her face and she smiled up at him. "I adore you." he whispered and kissed her again, softly, gently, with love and desire. She tangled a hand in his hair and pulled him closer.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Draco awoke late in the morning, smiling even before he'd opened his eyes. He wished he hadn't when he saw that Sara was gone, a note propped on her pillow. His smile crumbled. No! He thought, Sara, please don't do this to me!  
  
He held the note to his chest, wondering if he should risk further injury by reading it. He didn't want to spoil the memory, he had never been with someone he loved, but then he had never loved anyone else and the way he felt about her now, he couldn't bear this loss. Didn't want to know how it felt to have everything he'd ever wanted in his grasp, only to have it slip away in the dawn as he slept. With a horrible sense of dread, he unfolded the page, expecting nothing more than a heartfelt apology at best.  
  
Draco,  
  
I was going to wake you before I left, but you looked so peaceful I decided to let you sleep. Snape and I have some business, but it should only take a few days. Perhaps you would consider meeting me Friday in Cairo at the Pharaoh Egypt Hotel? There's a festival I like to attend this weekend, so I hope you can make it. Even if you choose not to join me, I'm glad of the night we spent together. It was, well, extraordinary. I'll miss you.  
  
Love, Sara  
  
Draco smiled as he picked up the phone and dialed. "I need to make a reservation." 


End file.
